


The Moments in Between

by MoonlitMidnight



Series: Coming Home [3]
Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: Cuddling & Snuggling, Cute Kids, Developing Relationship, Domestic Fluff, F/F, Family Feels, Fluff and Smut, Gratuitous Smut, Multi, One Shot Collection, Original Female Character(s) - Freeform, Stolen Moments
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-05-01
Updated: 2021-01-18
Packaged: 2021-03-02 05:47:06
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 19,485
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23950093
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MoonlitMidnight/pseuds/MoonlitMidnight
Summary: A collection of moments in the Coming Home 'verse. One-shots taking place before, after and during About Time.
Relationships: Emma Swan & Hope Swan-Jones, Evil Queen | Regina Mills/Emma Swan, Evil Queen | Regina Mills/Original Female Character(s), Henry Mills & Hope Swan-Jones, Original Female Character(s) & Hope Swan-Jones
Series: Coming Home [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1634008
Comments: 7
Kudos: 48





	1. An Afternoon Picnic

**Author's Note:**

> Hello!! The first one-shot is finally ready and there are more to come. I couldn't resist, I had so many little moments that I wanted to include but couldn't. Plus, I didn't want to have to give up writing about these characters I've become incredibly attached to. The first takes place during About Time, specifically Chapter 29. I hope you enjoy!

Emma woke up late. She didn’t even have to look at the clock to know that she was incredibly late for whatever it was she’d planned to do today. The bed was empty, which was upsetting but not totally unexpected given how late it was. The sound of rain falling hard over the house echoed around the empty room and filled Emma with a sense of peace. She struggled to sit up, but as consciousness rushed through her, she recognized the background noise she’d initially dismissed as the rain to be familiar.

The house was relatively quiet, but Emma knew almost everyone would be home because of the rain. Granted, she was still getting used to everyone’s varying schedules. But Hope was here, which made the silence all the more eerie. Emma climbed out of the bed and threw on a sweatshirt of Petra’s, along with a pair of shorts with cats on them that she cherished for some reason. Her toes were chilled as they touched the cold hard wood floor, so she slipped on socks.As Emma descended the stairs, she heard the low murmuring conversation and recognizedthe tone as Regina’s. She moved fast, but quietly. Nothing out of the ordinary except for the sweet smell of milkshakes. Thunder struck, probably a few dozen feet away from the house. A flash of light, followed by more rain. The voices grew louder.

“Are you alright little darling? You’re trembling.” Regina said. Emma could imagine her rubbing up and down Hope’s back the same way she did Henry. She snuck a glance around the corner, and found her suspicions to be confirmed. Her heart fluttered. It was even better than she expected.

Hope’s back was to Regina. The older woman was gently braiding her hair, her movements graceful and skilled in a way indicative of her experience. Hope was shivering the slightest bit, but still smiled into her book. Her entire countenance was screaming sheer satisfaction and the brightness of her smile only grew when she replied to Regina.

“I’m just a little chilly. I’ll be ok.”

Regina tutted in disapproval and instantly grabbed a blanket from the back of the couch. She draped it over Hope’s shoulders, and gently rubbed her arms to warm her. Footsteps the echoed from the kitchen, and when Emma turned to look she spotted Iris. She held a tray of tea and was bringing it over to the coffee table in front of Hope. When she spotted Emma, she gave a bright smile.

She looked like a little ray of sunshine in afitted yellow sundress, with her hair pulled up to reveal her freckled shoulders. Emma couldn’t resist the urge to press a kiss to her lips. Iris giggled.

“Good afternoon my love. Would you like a cup of tea?” She asked.

“That would be great—thank you.” She slowly walked over and pressed a hand to Iris’ hip. Her other hand instinctually went to cover her growing belly. A kick followed the warmth of her hand and made Emma’s heart flutter. Iris giggled again and pressed her own hand to the other side of her belly. “Well—it seems you’ve woken the baby. I wonder how long it will take for the other little one to make themselves known this morning.” She glanced over to Regina with a soft gaze. The brunette blushed and with her unoccupied hand reached out for one of the cups of tea. Iris handed it over easily.

“I think she’ll be waiting until a little later than her sibling. I’ve noticed that she isn’t the fondest of rainy days. She’ll probably want to sleep in today—quite like Emma I guess.” Regina chuckled and gave Emma a tiny wink. Iris took the taller blonde’s hand and led her to couch—they sat in the spaces closest to Hope and Regina.

“She?” Hope questioned quietly. “I’m going to have another sister?”

“I think so.” Regina replied just as quietly. Her earlier bravado seeming to disappear so suddenly. She cleared her throat and Emma spotted her shaking hands as she finished up the intricate braid. “I have a feeling this little one is a girl. Iris is betting on a boy for the little one in her belly.”

A Boy. Emma’s eyes welled up. “Really? That sounds amazing.” She managed to croak out. She couldn’t figure out what else to say. At her side, Iris gave a tiny sigh of contentment and pressed a kiss to her cheek.

“Doesn’t it! We’ll have the perfect set up! Two girls and two boys! How wonderful!” She gushed.

“Technically” Hope cut in, her eyes bright and cheerful. She jerked forward in excitement—though luckily Regina seemed finished with her hair. “We’ll have _three_ girls and _two_ boys in our family!”

Iris giggled. “How observant little one! You are correct—three girls and two boys. I guess that means we’ll have to get another boy huh?” She teased, bumping Emma’s side with her elbow. Though her tone is quite obviously playful, it still stirred a chord in Emma. Which one of them would get pregnant next, if they hose to have another baby? Maybe Petra this time—to even things out. Speaking of Petra.

“Where’s Petra?” Emma abruptly questioned. It seemed no-one noticed her train of thought, though the smirk on Regina’s face and the obvious chuckle forced to the back of Iris’ throat made her wonder.

“In her office. She said she was wrapping a few things up before spending the rest of her day with us—but that was severalhours ago.” Iris practically whined. She huffed and took a slow sip of her tea. Regina let out a snort at her dramatics.

“You know.” The brunette added. “I think she’d appreciate a cup of tea to help her through her work. Why don’t you bring her one?”

“That’s not a bad idea actually.” She reached over to the coffee table and moved to pick up the largest cup, but as she straightened to stand, Iris pulled her over into a warm kiss. It was chaste. But still, the sight of her mother kissing her lover made Hope sick. She let out a loud, garish gag before shooting up from her seat and running into the basement. Since Henry wasn’t there at the moment, it was being temporarily used as a little hideaway for the girl.

It had been Regina’s idea actually—the idea of letting her have space in such a new environment. It was a space she could escape to when she needed it,but one that was partially familiar with all of Henry’s items in it. Her laughter echoed around the house. It made Emma’s heart swell and by the looks on Iris and Regina’s faces—she knew she was not the only one affected by Hope’s presence. Regina seemed to be the most affected aside from Emma, and she had to sit up suddenly, before wiping her tears with the sleeve of her sweater.

“You should hurry before her tea gets cold.” She gently suggested. Emma smiled and pressed a kiss to her forehead.

“You’re right. I should. I’ll be back. If you guys are hungry I can make lunch.”

“Lunch sounds great. Maybe something light? Like sandwiches or some sort of salad?” Iris suggested. Emma gave a simple nod before sharing another kiss, then moving towards the study.

Since they officially moved in, Petra and Regina shared a study. Camila kept her work separate from the house, and set up shop at the winery when needed.Iris didn’t need an office per say—though when she needed her space for writing she took up residence in the garden or the field when it was warm enough—and Emma was still in the process of looking for a job. (Realistically she knew she didn’t _need_ a job—her lovers were more than well off alone and combined, their income was more than Emma had ever dreamed of having—but she was still considering it anyway. Just to feel productive) So when there was work to be done, Emma and Iris knew exactly where to find their more business oriented lover.

xxx

Emma knocked gently on the door. At first, there was no response, but after a few moments a soft “come in.” was called out. She crept in. Petra stood near the large window, her work phone held close to her ear. A man was yelling about something in Italian, and Petra was barely listening. She playfully rolled her eyes, and twirled her finger in a circle near her temple—the universal sign for ‘this individual is batshit crazy’. She put the phone on speaker when Emma presented the tea and pressed mute just before letting out a loud sigh.

“God what a relief it is to see you. And you’ve brought an offering of caffeine. How gracious!” She took Emma’s hand and pulled her in for a kiss. Emma hummed at the taste of her—a hint of cigarette smoke, tea and peppermint—then pulled away reluctantly.

“The tea wasn’t exactly my idea. You’ll have to thank Iris for that in all honesty. But, she’s downstairs and you’re busy so I’ll tell her for you. Plus, I bet you need me out of your hair.”

Petra’s brow furrowed. She reeled for a moment—confusion clouding her features—before she gathered the words to speak. “Who said anything about that? I’ve been hoping someone would interrupt his diatribe for the past hour.”

“He’s been going on for an hour?!” Emma exclaimed.

“Yes love. Yes he has. And I have a feeling he has no plans to stop anytime soon. A distraction would be welcome right now. I’m sure the others are busy enough to not come looking for you.” She smirked as she advanced towards Emma, her entire being radiating with pure lust and a seductive energy that was so fucking hard to ignore. Emma let out a whimper as Petra pressed up against her. They shared a kiss. Petra moaned into it and pressed Emma close to her by the back of her head. The possessive gesture made her whine and she launched herself at Petra.

They fell to the desk, Petra seated against the edge and Emma straddling her. Their kisses grew more frantic. Emma’s hips rolled on instinct, and when her clit brushed up against Petra’s thigh just right—a keening mewl fell from her lips.

Just as a tiny knock hit the door.

“Mama!” Hope called. “Iris told me to tell you her and the babies are reaaaally hungry! Like super hungry! Regina also told me not to tell you she said to hurry up, but I thought it was important for you to know.”

Both Emma and Petra froze at the sound of her tiny voice, but when her words registered they fell out into chuckles and barely concealed laughter. Emma hid her face in Petra’s neck and tried to get herself together as fast as possible. She did _not_ need her child forcing her way inside this office and witnessing the precarious situation they’d fallen head first into. Emma took a few seconds to catch her breath, then leaned closer to the door. “I’ll be out in just one minute sweetheart. Can you get the stuff out of the fridge for grilled cheese please?”

“Sure Mama!” Hope hailed before running down the stairs and most likely into the kitchen.

“I’d better hurry before out next visitors are two very angry pregnant women.” Emma said. She only had to lock eyes with Petra before they both fell into another fit of laughter.

After a few minutes, they finally got it together. Petra finished her tea and was escorting Emma out when she pressed a kiss to the space behind her ear and whispered “come find when Hope’s asleep. I think we should finish this little…distraction later tonight.” Emma shuddered at her voice, a wave of thick arousal coated her insides and made everything go the tiniest bit slower. 8 o’clock seemed to far away. But she nodded anyway.

xxx

When Emma came down the stairs and into the living room, she was surprised to find it empty. No sign of her lovers or her child anywhere. Until a giggle echoed from the paining room. It was a small room, but large enough for Emilie to store her favored paintings and at times paint new ones. She had recently allowed Hope access to the room, but when they weren’t in there together the doors were often locked. Which meant Emilie was downstairs. And where Emilie went, Atticus closely followed.

Another giggle. A frantic hushing noise belonging to an excited adult. The tone was familiar once again—Camila. Emma shook her head in disbelief andtried not to give her knowledge away as she mentally added the newest ‘guests’ to her list.

Grilled cheese with Regina’s favorite sliced ham and a side of pomegranate juice was the chosen lunch. Emma made more than enough and piled them up on a plate just in time to hear footsteps come from the painting room and into the kitchen. They were the tiniest bit slow and labored, which meant they were most likely belonging to Iris.

Her pregnancy had been going well, but her petite size made carrying such a weight difficult for her unfortunately. So it wasn’t hard to note when she was near. “Lunch is done if you guys are ready.”

She giggled. “Yes we’re ready. Can you bring the plates into the paint room? I can help if you need me.” She held out her hands and wiggled them as if to suggest they still worked despite her current ‘delicate disposition’.

Emma handed off the tray of drinks and followed Iris into the painting room. The sight that greeted her was the last thing she’d expected to see. Emilie was still putting the finishing touches on it, but all in all it was adorable. A large blanket was splayed out on the ground, sheets were draped around the room to cover the various paintings, giving the illusion of a blue sky. Camila, Hope and Regina sat in the center, Atticus resting his head in Regina’s lap—his head resting right beside her belly. His tail wagged slightly when he smelled the melted cheese—and it wasn’t just any cheese. It was of the highest quality, per Petra’s demand practically.

Emma smiled down at them and handed over the goods.

“What’s all this?” She questioned as she plopped down. She held a hand out for Iris. Emilie hurried to help her. She eased herself beside Emma with a huff of air, one followed by Regina’s chuckle.

“A picnic! I wanted to do one today when I woke up, but as soon as I got dressed to go out it started raining! So Emilie had the idea to do it inside! Isn’t it so cool!” She gushed with the brightest smile. Emilie blushed and Hope pulled her into a hug. It warmed Emma’s heart to see them becoming so close.Emilie had been so cold and standoffish to Emma at first, she’d been afraid that coldness would translate to her child. But that wasfar from the case. They were like sisters now, and every time Emma got to see them interact—-every time she got to see the warm look on Emilie’s face as she looked down at Hope—she felt so lucky.

When everyone was settled lunch began and it was a joy. The food was good and the company was even better and the warmth that filled the room seemed to stick around for the rest of the day. Hope and Emilie spent most of their day in the painting room after that, painting the sheets to resemble a brilliant blue sky. Regina sat on the living room couch reading a book that had been on her to-read list for months. Camila sat across from her, practicing her newest hobby of knitting. Petra still sat in the study, working hard as always and Iris went up to their bedroom to nap as had become the norm.

By 8, Emma had almost forgotten about Petra’s promise. Her proposition. When Hope was finally asleep and Atticus was at the door keeping guard, she was surprised to feel hands wrap around her waist.

A kiss was pressed on the base of her neck. “Is she asleep?” Regina questioned.

Emma shuddered under the pleasant touch.She hadn’t been expecting the visit, but she was more than excited “She’s out like a light. Are the others in the room?”

“Yes. We’re waiting for you.” More kisses were pressed to her neck. “Come play with us.”

It didn’t take much convincing for Emma to practically run up to their bedroom.

xxx

She should be used to it by now, the overwhelming and dizzying sensations that came from being surrounded by her lovers. It seemed to only grow now that Iris and Regina were with child. Everything seemed heightened, every touch was like a firework going off behind Emma’s eyelids.

Iris was already on the bed when she entered the room. She was naked, laid bare and so _so wet_ —like the most ripe offering. Petra was at her side, a hand between her own two legs. Iris let out a moan as she watched her wife fuck herself, but she kept her hands clutched at her thighs. Despite how wet she was, she seemingly refused to touch herself. A pitiful moan fell from her lips. Emma rushed to console her. She pressed her lips to Iris’ and pressed a comforting hand to her hip.

“Shhh love. We have to be quiet. I don’t want us to get us to interrupted.”

“We won’t.” Regina promised. She stepped towards the bed slowly, slipping off her robe and revealing a set of gorgeous lingerie Emma had never seen before. “I didn’t tell you but I’ve been doing a little bit of …research. The mirror wasn’t the only thing I created. Do you see the bell over the door?” She pointed to it, and for the first time Emma noticed it. Then she notices the slight shimmer in the room, indicative of the presence of magic.

“Is that a silencing spell?” Emma questioned. Arousal and excitement welling up in her throat. She loved it when her lovers were vocal. The noises they made would never cease to make her head spin. She was trembling. Regina gave her a seductive smile.

“Yes my love. It is. No-one outside of this room can hear what’s going on between the sheets the second that bell goes up. But we can hear what’s going on out there—in case of emergencies of course. Now, can we please get back to the matter at hand. I’ve been waiting for hours to watch you come apart.” She slipped into the bed, but before Emma could get the chance to touch her, Iris let out a desperate whine and pulled her into slick kiss. She didn’t wast any time in putting her hands anywhere she could reach and letting out as many whimpers and moans as she wanted.Since the beginning of her pregnancy, she’d become more sensitive. The smallest touch seemed to set her alight and it was exhilarating to see her get so worked up. Emma carefully coaxed her legs open and was just about to graze her wetness when another, larger, hand stopped her.

Petra tutted. “Not yet my loves. We’re playing a game tonight. Iris had the absolute nerve to make herself come without us this morning. So we’re going to ignore her until all of us have had at least two orgasms. Does that sounds reasonable?” She locked eyes with Emma. Iris was panting and writhing, but seemed content to sit and follow the rules (They must have talked this out before Emma came in. A part of her was curious to see exactly how that conversation had gone, but most of her was much too turned on to care.) Emma gave a frantic nod.

“That sounds perfect.” She whispered.

“Brilliant.” Petra rewarded her with a kiss. “Let’s start with Regina. She’s been so patient.”

Regina whimpered climbed closer. Her hips swayed and her breathing was picking—the first indicators of her growing arousal. “Please.”

Petra pulled her close and kissed her deep. Iris whimpered and rocked her hips forward desperately. Emma couldn’t help herself. She looked between her legs, at the bounty of wetness and beautiful folds just aching to be touched. She was dripping so much that a wet spot resided beneath her. Emma caressed her hip to calm her.

“What do you want darling?” Petra asked Regina.

“I want—I need someone to fuck me. I need something in me so bad. _Please.”_ She begged. Her eyes shined with need.

“We’ve got you baby. Emma, can you reach into the bedside table—the third drawer—and pull out the dark blue strap? Harness and all?” Emma was still unfamiliar with their seemingly endless supply of sex-toys, but she was all too familiar with this one. Just last week, Regina had used this one on her. It had been one of the most otherworldly experiences Emma had ever had, and a tiny bit of her was jealous. But she knew Regina deserved it. After all, she was carrying their child. She deserved to be pampered a bit. So much so, that she probably wouldn’t be able to walk straight tomorrow. Especially not if Petra put that harness on.

Emma scrambled for the toy and the lube—just in case. She heard Iris’ whimpers as Petra and Regina began to kiss above her. It wouldn’t be long at this rate for her to get attention, but Emma knew it was probably the best kind of torture to be forced to watch and not be able to relieve the ache. (In the back of her mind, she marveled at the idea of being able to be in Iris’ position.)

She handed over the strap and watched with rapt attention as Petra slipped off her panties and adjusted the harness around her hips.

“Emma. I wanna taste you.” Regina begged. She was starting to get that sharp look in her amber eyes—the one that screamed something so erotic it nearly had the power to make Emma come on the spot. Emma obeyed immediately and splayed herself beside Iris, but right in front of Regina. Regina ripped off her lounge pants and panties and took only a second to admire the wetness waiting for her, before lapping her Emma with ferocity.

Regina had a skilled tongue. It was beyond skilled if there was even a word for it. Emma wailed as Regina hit just the right spot on the side of her clit that made her jump. She sucked at it and pressed to finger into Emma without warning. The blonde was shaking, her mind almost blank. A hand came to twist her right nipple just the way she liked. She mewled and tried to twist both further and closer away to the skilled touches of her lovers. She felt Iris sit up beside her. She was the one responsible for the toe-curling twists and pulls of her nipples.

“I love watching the three of you enjoy each other. You’re so stunning. But I can’t wait to get inside you Regina. Get up on all fours for me baby.” Regina obliged with a whimper. “You too Emma. Put your hands up on the headboard. Iris come next to me love. You’re alright.” They all moved at once, all of them desperate in the best way. It didn’t take long to get adjusted and Regina quickly continued her task. She pulled Emma’s hips back to her face and plunger her tongue deep into Emma. She curled it right against the perfect spot and Emma was coming.

She let out a high moan as the waves of pleasure fell over her and she pulled away when they became almost overwhelming. Regina tried to latch back onto her clit and press her fingers inside once again, but Emma stopped her with a frantic shake of her head. “Too sensitive baby. I need a minute.”

Regina gave a disappointed whine but nodded her head. “You looked so beautiful while you were coming Emma. Fuck, you had me close just by watching you.” Iris admitted. Emma blushed.

“Are you ready baby?” Petra asked Regina. Emma quickly turned around to watch. She couldn’t wait to watch as Regina finally got what she needed.

“I’m ready. Please fuck me—Ohh fuuuck!” Regina moaned, her back arching and her head dropping so that her forehead rested against the comforter. Petra was slowly filling her with the toy. On first glance, it looked big. Well it was big, but Petra was careful. She eased it into Regina, the sound of Regina’s body allowing entrance echoed around the room. It was a delicious slick noise that practically forced Emma to bring her hand back between her legs. She circled her clit as another inch filled Regina.

The brunette groaned, and reached back to push Petra back. “I need-w-wait—fuck! Ungh, so good. So big. I—

“—Hush and let me take care of you. You know you’re safe with me.” Petra whispered before pushing further. A whine slid out of the back of Regina’s throat. Emma pressed a finger inside herself and moaned. Iris was watching, her mouth practically open and drooling as she watched her lovers.

Regina looked so stunning with her back arched, her legs trembling, her arm extended to ‘push’ back at Petra (though they all knew she didn’t want her to go anywhere. Though the toy was large and slowing down would make things ‘easy’ Regina wasn’t here for easy. She wanted to be fucked and that was exactly what she’d get. And the minute she said otherwise—in the form of their safe word—Petra would pull out and leave her be.)

Another inch slipped in. Then another. Until finally all eight inches of the dildo were sheathed inside Regina.

She looked delirious. Her eyes rolled to the back of her head, her limbs like jelly. She could only let out a tiny whimper as Petra began to fuck her. Things got blurry from there. Emma lost track of time. Petra fucked Regina just the way she needed— hara and deep. Regina kept her hand pressed against Petra’s thigh, right next to the harness but didn’t have the strength to do much but clutch at her. Her throaty moans grew in pitch and volume as Petra fucked into the brunette harder and harder; deeper and deeper. Iris was obedient to Petra’s demands, not daring to touch herself, though she had to touch something—so Emma gave her her unoccupied hand as she fucked herself with her the other. Emma came for the second time fromsimply watching Regina and Petra together. Then she slipped behind Petra and moved between the straps of the harness to find her soaking wet pussy.

Emma plunged her fingers inside and quickly fucked Petra. She moaned and sped up in fucking Regina. The brunette fell forward onto the bed, her ass in the air, her pussy on display for all of them to see. She looked so gorgeous—so delirious. The sight of her only heightened by the feeling of Petra’s walls as she came almost violently around Emma’s fingers. But she didn’t stop fucking Regina, in fact, she fucked into her even harder and earned another loud, throaty moan before Regina finally came.

Emma watched in awe as two of her women came at the same time. Petra was reserved, only letting out little whimpered as she bucked into Emma’s hand and Regina. Regina was too far gone to care. She’d pulled one hand out from her under and let herself fall fully onto the bed. She frantically rubbed her clit as she came with a series of loud sobs.

Then, as they all came down—all went still.

Petra chuckled after a few minutes of heavy breathing and attempted recovery, before pulling out. Regina fell onto the bed—carefully—and curled up to fall asleep. She let out a whisper “Fuck. Thank god for that silencing spell.”

They all couldn’t resist the urge to laugh. All except Iris of course, who was nearly combusting with arousal. Emma took pity on her and helped her onto her back.

xxx

Needless to say, it was an extremely long night. And the morning after they all drank extra large cups of coffee.

[My Tumblr](https://moonlitmidnight-1.tumblr.com)


	2. Late-Night Comforts

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This one is short but something I really enjoyed writing. It introduces an aspect of Iris and the relationship that I didn't get a chance to really explore in About Time. I hope you enjoy!

It wasn’t exactly unusual for Emma to be woken up in the middle of the night by something or another. There were many nights in which she’d woken to a few suggestive touches or the sound of someone in the kitchen. But tonight was different. She could hear it in the low, pained noise that echoed around the room. She was awake in a second. Slowly sitting up to protect whoever it was that was in pain. The noise came again. Then someone made a shushing noise.

“It’s all right darling. Petra’s on her way back right now. It’ll stop in a minute.”

There was no discernible response, only another noise of pain. The light switched on and Emma sat up, rubbing the sleep out of her eyes to look over. Iris was in Regina’s arms, cradling her swollen bellywith only one arm, while the other seemed to be paralyzed in pain beside her. Regina pressed kisses to her cheeks and tried to comfort her. But Iris was clearly in immense pain. Emma’s instinct to protect overrode any reason. She reached over.

“What’s going on?” She questioned in a slurred voice. Her sudden presence started Regina.

“Shit you scared me. I hope I didn’t wake you.” She worried, whilst simultaneously rubbing Iris’ back,

“You didn’t. I just heard someone in pain and had to wake up. What’s going on? What can I do?” She sat up tall and reached out to Iris.

“Old injury acting up. It usually isn’t this bad but I can’t take meds for it.” Iris grunted. She hissed as the muscles in her arm seemed to spasm. Regina rubbed her back with a sympathetic expression.

“Petra’s grabbing a few things from downstairs. Hopefully it’ll help.” Regina explained quietly. Emma nodded and snuggled a little bit closer. They waited for a few minutes before the door creaked open slowly. Petra revealed herself, hands full and her expression as worried as Emma had ever seen her.

Emma raced to help the other woman before she dropped the items. Petra gave a thankful expression. When she stepped full into the room, her voice was quiet. “I see everyone’s awake now. How are you feeling love?

“Horrible. I don’t know what I did to irritate it, but it’s the worst it’s been in a while. I need it to stop.” She explained her voice filled with pain. She looked close to crying and the sight nearly tore Emma’s heart apart.

Petra began to unravel the several remedies in her hands. She started with a massage of some sort. Iris seemed reluctant at first, and even tried to pull away at first, but Petra’s comforting murmurs calmed her down enough to endure the initial pain. It hurt to watch—every pained whimper made Emma’s heart jolt with pain— but after a few minutes it seemed the pain was being remedied by Petra’s skilled hand. Eventually the sounds of pain only occurred occasionally. Iris let out whimpers of pain as her arm was twisted and massaged but otherwise seemed to be making progress. Regina watched on with worry, but Emma was more than curious.

“Does this happen often?” Emma asked. Her eyes were on Petra’s skilled hands, but her mind was running all over the place. Questioning every interaction she’d had with Iris and whether or not she’d unknowingly caused her pain.

“Not anymore.” Iris said. “It started as an injury in college that never fully healed properly. Then a car accident a few years back really threw my body out of wack. It’s nearly constantly painful, but I must have done something to irritate it recently. I try to avoid vigorous activity or anything that will make the pain worse but…I must have failed.” Her tone was tight and her words no more than a hiss but Emma understood perfectly. And the words hurt her heart.

It made sense though. She’d been living with them and trying to understand the intricate bits of their lives she’d previously been unknown to her. She’d noticed how protective Petra and Regina seemed of her, but seeing the facts laid so plainly made even more sense. They were protective because she was in pain and they wanted to keep her away from any unnecessary amounts of pain.

A tight sob fell from Iris’ lips suddenly, then a sob of relief. A pop echoed around the room as the muscle finally relaxed. She sank into the bed. Regina instantly brought a heated heating pad to her shoulder. Iris reached for her hand and let out a sigh. “Thank you. Shit, that’s the worst it’s been in a while. I never thought it would be this bad again.”

“Me neither. But at least it’s done now. Do you need anything else? A hot bath perhaps?” Regina questioned.

“A hot bath sounds nice. But not too hot, you know what the doctor said.” She whispered. Petra nodded, but Emma moved first. She needed to feel useful in some capacity and a bath was something she could do well. She made her way to the bathroom, and was running the water before Iris could say another word.

When the water was warm enough and she’d added the right amounts of lavender bath salts and fluffy soap, she left the bathroom to retrieve her lover. Iris was slowly standing when Emma returned—Petra was on one side and Regina was on the other—and she gave a smile to Emma as she caught her eye.

“Thank you for this darling. It means alot.”

“No problem at all. I’m happy to be of some help. Come on in.” Emma took Iris into her arms and practically carried her to the bath. When the bathroom door opened, a wave of sweet smelling steam fell over them. Somehow, Iris seemed to melt even more.

Emma helped her into the bath, and when she was relaxed enough to lean her head back and let Emma play with her hair—the taller blonde took the opportunity to try something she’d always wanted to. “Do you…Can I….Would it be weird if I asked to wash your hair? I know it might be difficult with the pain and I want to be helpful anyway I can.” Emma caressed her hair and pressed a kiss to the crown of her head. One hand rested on her cheek and Iris leaned into it.

“That would be perfect my love. Thank you.”

It didn’t take long for Emma to find the necessary shampoo and conditioner. It might sound slightly creepy, but since moving to France Emma unconsciously noticed the smallest of details when it came to her lovers. She knew which shampoo Iris preferred and what soap and what color towel. She also knew that her scalp was intensely sensitive and that this could either be an incredibly pleasantexperience for her, or even more pain.

Emma was careful. Every touch was calculated and as gentle as she could make it. Iris was a puddle of peace, nuzzling into Emma’s hand and humming in pleasure until a sharp hiss fell from her lips.

“Shit, did I hurt you! I’m sorry I can stop—”

“No. This is perfect. That part was just a little sensitive. Stay here. Please.” Iris looked up at her with those big blue eyes so full of love and peace.And Emma melted. Silently, she vowed to stay for as long as they’d let her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I always had this thought in the back of my head that Iris suffered from some sort of chronic pain. I don't know why. I like creating realistic characters, and I wanted to explore that condition with her but couldn't really find a place for it to fit in About Time. My mother suffers from chronic pain and I thought it important to represent her and others who suffer from it even in the tiniest way. We'll be exploring this aspect of Iris more in later one-shots I'm sure. Thanks for reading!


	3. April Showers of Sorts

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello!! I'm sorry I've been M.I.A, I'm finally free of school and not in intense writer's block, so I can be productive. I have a few new ideas for fics so one of those should hopefully be coming out soon (possibly something DragonQueen) as well as more for this fic and hopefully something in another fandom. I hope I didn't just jinx myself but anyway enjoy!

“What do you think?” Regina asked quietly. Emma looked up from her book, and bent over to look at the picture Regina was presenting. It was an adorable set up for a baby shower. Simple and elegant, but warm in a way that made Emma excited. They were getting closer and closer to the due date, and it was only proper to at least consider having a baby shower. Iris was all for it—she was beyond ready to celebrate the newest little members of their family with all of their friends and relatives—but Regina was more hesitant.

Since around the 7 month mark, she’d been more reclusive. She enjoyed her time outside with her family, but seeing people who weren’t normally on their list of ‘approved people’made her anxious. She’d keep a hand pressed to her belly at nearly all times and would stay close to one of her lovers no matter what. But, she might have come around to the idea since Iris became more and more infatuated with the idea.

Emma looked up from the picture and up at Regina. She looked like a little ray of sunshine. Her hair was in a braid, a few curls falling out of it and making her look even more adorable. Her cheeks were getting fuller and with the maternity overall she had on, she looked like the poster child for cute and comfy. Emma couldn’t resist the urge to press a kiss to Regina’s lips. It siphoned a blush.

“What was that for?”

“Just ‘cause I wanted to. You look so cute.” Regina’s blush deepened.

“Why thank you, though as much as I appreciate the compliments I would like to know your thoughts on the decorations I found. I still haven’t figured out where we’re going to have this thing—or if we’re going to have more than one—but I really like these.”

“I like them a lot too. They’ll go perfect with whatever theme you choose.” Emma assured her. “If you only want to have one baby shower i’m sure we can figure something out. I know you’re not comfortable with going back to Storybrooke but you’re also not too keen on having people from Storybrooke in France. Not to mention the fact that we aren’t even sure they can leave Storybrooke because of the curse and all the weird shit that came with it.”

Regina sighed and eased herself up to stand. Emma helped her as best she could, but didn’t hover. “It might just be easier to admit defeat and set up a baby shower in Storybrooke. It would make this all easier. We could do a one and done deal. Maybe get a car in Storybrooke and shuttle the Frenchies to the venue.”

Emma quirked an eyebrow. That…actually didn’t sound bad. It was the perfect compromise. Having Regina’s new family come to Emma’s old one to celebrate the lives of their children.“That’s kind of perfect.” Emma admitted.

Regina snorted. “Then I’ll call Zelena. The farmhouse isn’t a bad venue. I refuse to have it at Granny’s and the manor would be too much of a hassle. But first, I need tea.” She began to make her way into the kitchen, but Emma couldn’t help but call out:

“No more caffeinated tea ‘Gina! You hit your limit this morning. If you drink anymore the baby will be bouncing off the walls at 3 A.M!”

Regina gave a huff of amused frustration but pointedly pulled down a cup of non-caffeinated, herbal tea.

xxx

Preparations didn’t take very long. Once Zelena got a hold of Regina and Iris’ desire to have their joint baby shower at the farmhouse, she went into frenzy of buying and renting and planning. By the end of the next week, the entire event was organized and invitations were being sent out.

When Snow and David got their invitations, Emma nearly lost hearing in her right ear when she picked up the phone. “THIS IS SO WONDERFUL EMMA I CAN’T WAIT TO SUPPORT YOU AND YOUR PARTNERS IN THIS!” She screamed as jovially as was humanly possible. Emma rolled her eyes at her mother’s dramatic reaction, but Iris chuckled warmly at the echo of sound that she heard from her spot beside Emma, on their bed.

A list of foods, color schemes and decor choices for the nursery were splayed out on the bed. Iris was flipping through them, but paused as she silently observed the conversation. Emma nervously cleared her throat.

“Thanks mom.” She began. “I really appreciate you being so supportive. I know it’s a little weird but—”

“I’ve gotten over how potentially weird this entire situation is.” Snow chuckled, though Emma could hear the tenseness in her voice and knew she wasn’t 100% over just yet. “All I focus on now is how excited I am for two of my favorite people to experience yet another bundle of joy.” She sounded like she was on the verge of crying, which would very much be on brand. 

Her crying could be both good and bad, but she didn’t say anything or express any concerns to Emma’s face. Which meant ,for the time being, she could keep those imaginary concerns out of sight and out of mind.

xxx

When the day of the shower was upon them, Emma woke earlier than she intended to.She found herself entangled in Petra’s embrace, and as she sat up, she saw out of the corner of her eye that Regina was in the rocking chair near the window. Her arm wascradling her stomach and her gaze was firmly placed on the misty early morning on display. Her expression was tight with worry.

Emma stood up slowly. “What’s wrong?” She questioned in a quiet tone. Regina startled at her sudden presence.Emma winced immediately and took a careful step back. “I didn’t mean to scare you, I’m sorry.”

“It’s fine. I’m just a little jumpy in general, so it’s not exactly your fault.” She admitted. Emma didn’t waste any time, she moved closer to Regina and took her hand. It was trembling and clammy in a way indicative of her discomfort.

“What are you feeling?” Emma asked. A question she had found herself asking much more often than she’d expected in the past few weeks. Regina sighed.

“I’m…scared. I’m—it’s going to sound stupid.”   
  
“No it won’t.” Emma assured. Regina shook her head minutely. 

“I just….I know we’re going to the farmhouse to set up today. And I can’t help but dread having to be this vulnerable in Storybrooke. I’m so scared Emma. I know it’s been nearly 40 years since I cast the curse, but the people of that damned town hold a grudge like no-one else. They could decide just in seeing me again that I don’t deserve my baby and that they’ll do whatever they can to take it away from me.” Her voice began to crack as she spoke.

“I won’t let them. No matter what they’re feeling or thinking, they’re wrong. You’ve saved them countless times and put your life on the line to keep them safe. They don’t have any right to say anything of ill will towards you. If they try, I’ll put them in their place.” Emma promised. She knew she’d do anything for her lovers, and even when it came to her own biological family— she was willing to put them in their place.

Regina deserved to feel safe and happy during this exciting time.

They sat in silence for another half an hour. Time was ticking by at an alarming pace, and they had to get ready to go soon but Emma refused to rush Regina. She needed time and that was fine. Eventually, she seemed to calm down enough to get ready.

The plan was to get dressed and all made up on this side, before venturing over to Storybrooke via the Mirror, so Emma took it upon herself to wake Iris up. Petra had been pretending to sleep to give Regina and Emma some space, so when she moved towards the bed Petra popped open one eye and slowly sat up. Iris didn’t move.

“She’s deep in sleep huh?” Emma observed with a snort.

“Apparently so. Maybe last night wore her out a bit too much.” Petra commented, reaching down to caress Iris’s wild hair and leaning down to press a kiss to her neck, right next to the bruise that had been left the night before. She gave a sleepy whimper. “Wake up love. It’s time to get up and get ready.” She whispered.

“Noooo.” She whined. “I don’t feel like it.” Emma couldn’t help but let out a little laugh. It tookfew minuets of cajoling, but they were up and moving fast enough.

Regina pulled on an off the shoulder sun dress that was off white and form fitting. Her hair was pulled up into a curly bun and her makeup was simple, but still gorgeous. Iris was in a shorter sundress, also white, which reached down to just below where knee. It was looser and her hair was pulled into a ponytail. Petra pulled on a simple light green blouse and jeans, and Emma put on a grey short sleeved jumpsuit. 

When they came downstairs, Camila and already taken it upon herself to make breakfast to go. Emilie was preparing the decorations and making sure Atticus was ready to go.

xxx

The farmhouse was much more empty than she remembered it being previously. Emma hadn’t been here since Zelena had first arrived in Storybrooke. It was a nice house, and well furnished enough to make turning it into the venue for the baby shower easy. Emma, Emilie, and Petra did most of the work. Iris tried to pitch in her assistance once or twice, but Petra firmly shut her down with a few well timed glares. The decorations were put up with ease and finesse—thanks to Emilie’s artistic eye. The color schemes chosen were that of an earthy green, a pale gold and both pink and blue—all thanks to Camila and Zelena’s newest plan. The baby shower was doubling as a sort of gender reveal. The only people aware of the sex of the children (or who had knowledge that was 100% factual anyway. Emilie and Hope had their strong suspicions, as did Henry) were Zelena and Camila.

Before long, the shower was starting and women were filing into the from house. First were Regina’s newest family members—Eliza, her family and Marcella—then Emma’s family. Snow, David, Ruby, Granny and Mulan showed up with sheepish smiles and alap fulls of gifts. It was a heartwarming sight. Snow would have been the first in the door had she not been asked to hold off on her displays of enthusiasm. As much as Emma appreciated her enthusiasm, she knew how much her presence made Regina uncomfortable. Though she hadn’t said much about this aspect of her trauma, but Emma had deduced it with Petra and Iris’ help. Not to mention the subtle hints she’d gathered from her observations of Regina’s behavior.

During Snow’s childhood, Leopold had wanted Regina to produce an heir to prevent Snow from having to marry for anything other than love. Obviously, there was no heir which meant there was _something_ there in the context of children, pregnancy and the celebration of brining a child into the world. Something Regina either consciously or unconsciously chose to keep from them. Though Regina wasn’t expressing it, she was most definitely still affected by it. This pregnancy had made her incredibly cautious and she seemed to be anxious more and more often. Iris was the same way in some respects, but it was clear Regina's response was born of trauma as opposed to the standard fears of any overprotective mother.

Speaking of overprotective mothers—Snow made a beeline to the kitchen island, where Emma was preparing virgin versions of some of Regina and Iris’ favorite drinks. Camila was on the other side of kitchen making the standard ‘Blue Bloom’ and ‘Pink Potion’ as they’d been dubbed by Zelena—the unfortunate coordinator of the food side of things. Snow didn’t notice her though, she made her way straight to Emma. She looked both excited and incredibly nauseous.

“What’s up mom?” Emma asked.

“I…I’m panicking a little bit…I brought a gift. I know you asked me not to but I found it s too perfect not to bring but now that I’m here, I’m doubting my choice of gift. I don’t know if it will bring up good memories or bad ones.” She looked so distraught it nearly broke Emma’s heart, but before she could ask any more questions Camila chimed in.

Camila cleared her throat. “What exactly is the gift, might I ask?” She questioned quietly. She arguably knew more than anyone in this room just how Regina would react to the gift. Despite the closeness she had with Emma, Petra and Iris, she didn’t share certain things with them. Camila was her closest confidant. If anyone was to know exactly what would set Regina off in regards to Snow, it was Camila.

Snow looked unsure for a moment or two, but cleared her throat and spoke after a few moments of hesitation. She leaned forward and nearly whispered her answer. “I got her and Iris glass mobiles for the nursery. They’re both different designs but…I took my time finding the right designs. I thought it was a good idea until I got here. Now I’m not sure.”

Camila’s eyes grew slightly larger, and her expression grew worried for a moment but she didn’t speak. Emma’s curiosity outweighed her own concern for the moment and she couldn’t help but question this ‘gift’ and just why they both seemed so worried about.

“Why would you be so worried about a mobile? It seems like a reasonable gift to me.” Emma questioned. She looked between the two women and watched as a host of emotions crossed both of their expressions. Before she got the chance to get a response, Petra called for her. It was time for the first and most important event of the day. The gender reveal. For the time being, the blonde forgot about Snow or anything other than her lovers and children. 

xxx

Regina, Iris and Petra all stood before a large cauldron Zelena had conjured to fit into the living room. Petra and Regina held hands, while Petra’s other hand was holding a vial of black shining liquid. Iris held the same liquid in a vial in her own hand, and the other was outstretched to Emma. She rushed over.

“Finally! The baby-daddy has finally arrived. We can get this show on the road and stop the anticipation!” Zelena exclaimed. The whole room was buzzing with excitement and laughter. Emma’s eyes instinctually ran over her lovers as her own excitement distracted her.

Regina looked as calm as she’d been since the beginning of her pregnancy. She was practically glowing and a smile was never far from her face. Iris’ delighted giggles echoed as she listened to a joke Zelena made. The playful roll of Petra’s eyes told Emma she found the joke asinine at best, but she didn’t dare ruin the mood.

Emma’s eyes moved to her family. Even Snow seemed to lose her tension as they all enjoyed themselves. She looked to anxiously awaiting the results of the reveal and it was a heartwarming sight. The others were clearly enjoying themselves and blending in well with the family Regina had brought.

Zelena clapped her hands. “Alright, let’s get this over with so we can get to the presents. I’m dying to see what the babies got from you lot. Regina, you first.”

Regina rolled her eyes at her sister but obediently dropped the vial’s contents into the cauldron. Petra squeezed her hand as the cauldron began to hum and misty magic fell over the side. 

It was pink.

A girl. Regina was having a girl.

Petra let out a triumphant cry and pressed her hand to the swell of Regina’s belly. Iris cried the tiniest bit and moved to kiss Regina. The room erupted into applause, which was sweet but Emma couldn’t even react appropriately as thoughts filled her mind.

A girl. Regina was going to have a girl.

A girl with her hair and Petra’s eyes. Her vision got blurry.

“Iris. Your turn.” She wanted to open her mouth to beg Iris to give hera moment to process, but she was already moving before before Emma had the chance to open her mouth.

Then blue smoke curled over the cauldron’s edges.

A boy. Her son. She didn’t stop herself from crying and neither did Regina, Petra or Iris for that matter.

They were having one of each.

Holy shit. They sure as hell would have their hands full.

xxx

The food was light and delicious, the non alcoholic drinks practically divine. Emma almost forgot completely about the odd exchange in the kitchen, until it was time to exchange gifts. She watched as her mother made a point to avoid bringing her gift to the mothers’ to be, until all the other gifts were exchanged. When the second to last gift was given—the sweetest hand made kitten toys from Eliza and her husband (Who just so happened to be a tailor), only then did Snow bring her gift forward.

Hesitation flashed across Regina’s face as she looked to Snow. Slowly, she took the box from her former step-daughter’s hand, and she watched with wariness as Snow handed the other to Iris.

“They’re fragile. If you don’t want them, I can take them back and act like this never happened.” Snow promised vehemently, though her voice was a quiet as a mouse. The entire room was incredibly quiet. Every person waiting with bated breath to see what would happen.

Regina cautiously opened the box. It was wooden, and a little golden bow was wrapped around it to keep it closed. Inside, was a small glass baby mobile. Each piece was beautiful and crafted with so much care tears were brought to Emma’s eyes. The mobile was filled with little golden glass birds. They looked to be some cross between a phoenix and a peacock. The wings of each were painted with jewel tones that would surely glitter in the sunlight. Especially in the early morning. The beaded strings holding the creatures up glittered with glass beads, and Emma could easily see the piece in the nursery, mounted on the ceiling, swirling to comforting the child—the little girl— in Regina’s belly.

Then she saw Iris’ box. It too was wooden, but this time a silver bow was wrapped around it. When Iris opened it, she let out the softest gasp and a huff of surprised air. Her mobile was just as gorgeous as Regina’s, but clearly meant for another child. Instead of birds, they were white stags. Their eyes glittered silver and they seemed to dance a graceful dance as Iris brought them out of the box. It was then Emma realized both mobiles were enchanted. Regina picked up the mobile in her box, and the birds began to fly. Their path of flight of a graceful spiral.Their eyes glittered with warm fiery light. Regina let a few tears fall down past her cheeks to her lap. They soaked the lap of her dress and seemed to bring her to her senses. 

She sniffled and looked up. Snow gave a sheepish smile. “You can give them to either of the kids—they’re unisex. Neither creature is inherently masculine or feminine, though I’m sure you know that. I know this might have…” Snow carefully cleared her throat and looked down to her fiddling hands. “brought up some unpleasant memories but I hoped these would bring about some new ones. Some undeniably pleasant and happy ones. If you don’t like them you can—“

“—I love them. They’re perfect. Thank you.” Regina whispered. She reached out a hand nada took Snow’s in her own. They shared a loaded gaze and tears fell down both their cheeks, but even with all of the complicated emotions swirling around, Emma could see light at the end of the tunnel. She could see hope for a future that was less full of hurt, suffering and tense silence.

And it floored her.

xxx

Later that evening, when they’d returned to France and the moon was high in the sky, Regina sat on their bed her back up against the head board, both mobiles in their boxes at either side of her.

Iris was laid beside her, her arm wrapped around her swollen womb and the sleeping baby within it. She looked up at Regina with curiosity. “What do those creatures represent in the Enchanted Forest?” She asked quietly.A small smile flickered across Regina’s face, but it was twinged with something sad.

“This one” She held up the white stag mobile. “is a halla. It’s a rare white stag. In my culture, it’s vehemently protected. Though in the kingdom i eventually became the queen of, they weren’. It’s horns and coat are rare enough to fetch a hefty price, but when I came into power I outlawed the hunting of them. It represents hope and purity. This one” She picked up the bird. “is a huma. An even rarer creature representative of protection and regality. I’ve only heard stories of this one, but it’s said that the person who catches even a glimpse of a huma will be blessed for all their life. Their constant presence over the children represents a bright future for them.Snow she…she picked the two creatures the mean the most to me. When I was—the last time I—I…” The words wouldn’t come. Instead, only tears and the sound of a choked sob. When Petra rushed forward to comfort her, Regina held her back. She shook her head and took in a deep breath to push the words out. “The last time I was pregnant, I was in the process of picking a between these two creatures for the mobile….In the Enchanted Forest it’s customary for royal children to have a creature of protection. Yours was a unicorn Emma. Mine was a griffin. I had been tossed between these two for the…the child. The fact that she remembered the creatures I’d considered…at the time and brought me both was…was very thoughtful.”

She let a few more tears slip, but this time the baby—the little girl, Emma was still astonished by that fact—in her belly had had enough of her mother’s fear and sadness. She gave a series of kicks that forced Regina to smile. Soon, the anguish of her past was forgotten and the women were planning out the rest of the nursery.

But Emma couldn’t keep her gaze off the mobiles. She felt the burn of tears. But she didn’t let her mind linger on the past—or she’d find herself creating another portal back in time and doing things she wouldn’t necessarily regret but things that were inappropriate for a mother to be.

Instead, she forced herself to focus on the joy that would soon be coming into their lives. And the beautiful gift her mother had given that put such a smile on Regina’s face.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading!


	4. Surprises, Surprises

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know nothing about pregnancy or birth but I tried to make this realistic. If I failed let me know!

One of the hardest parts about the new ‘arrangement’ regarding Hope was reconciling the fact that Hope would _want_ her mother and her new guardians of sorts to visit her in Storybrooke. When things calmed down and the quartet of lovers assimilated to their new lives in France, it hadn’t taken long for Hope to call Emma and make the request she’d secretly been dreading.

It happened around the spring. Not nearly enough time, in Emma’s opinion at least, to be free of the worries and frustrations inherent in Storybrooke, but—as much as she didn’t want to think about that place— her daughter had to come first.

“Mama! I got a part in the school play!” Hope practically screeched over the phone one Sunday afternoon. Emma’s heart leapt with joy at the news. A smile helplessly spread across her lips.

“That’s amazing love-bug! I’m so proud of you! When does the play start?” Emma repliedthe tiniest bit louder than she intended to. She simply couldn’t hold back the excitement in her voice. She knew how much Hope had been looking forward to acting in this play.Her loud and excited exclamation caught the attention of Regina, who popped her head into the living room with a raised eyebrow. Emma assured her with a quick gesture that everything was fine, but the woman didn’t leave. She waddled—yes waddled, she was 9 months pregnant dammit and very much so feeling every single day of those 9 months—over to the couch to sit beside Emma.

Hope rattled off a date that was suspiciously soon in Emma’s ear, and began to tell her mother about her leading role as the sun princess in some old wives tale from the Enchanted Forest. Of course, Snow was in charge of this production and had taken it upon herself to use this time to educate the children of Storybrooke of their heritage. Meaning this play was deceptively colorful and cheerful, but would really be a bunch of third graders reciting lines they had no understanding of and stumbling through soliloquies that were _way_ too long.

The phone call ended quickly enough, as Hope had 'things to attend to’. When Emma fondly placed her phone on the side table, Regina looked over at her with a questioning gaze. “Is Hope ok?” She asked.

“Oh yeah she’s fine! She was just telling me about how she got a part in the school play.” Emma’s heart fluttered when a smile easily Regina’s features.

“That’s amazing! When is it?”

“In a week and a half. She wants us to come but it’s so close to the due date of the babies I don’t think we can—”

“—we have to go. There’s no way we can’t _not_ go. This will be the first time we have the opportunity to be there for her as a unit. Even if I have to waddle there I think I can speak for all of us when I say it’s imperative that we be there!” Her speech gradually became more and more impassioned, and by the end she was nearly yelling. Her eyes were wet with tears. As if on cue—as if she’d sensed the heightened emotions from the other room—Iris waddled into the living room. Her own eyes were big and wet with tears.

Emma froze. She knew she had to tread carefully to avoid having two very pregnant and very emotional women on her hands. Petra was on a business trip, and Camila was at work. Regina had just taken off for maternity leave, so the distraction of work and the familiarity of it was not available to keep her distracted from her fluctuating hormones. Iris was rarely emotional on her own, but with their shared magic if Regina got started hard enough to push through the connection so would she.

“Listen…I know Hope would appreciate you guys even getting her a congratulations gift on her play. She’ll understand that with the babies coming so soon it’s unrealistic for you to be traveling—

“We’re going.” Regina firmly stated. She squinted at Emma (a look made all the more adorable by her slightly filled cheeks) and gave her most menacing glare. “We. Are. Going.”

“Going where?” Iris questioned slowly. She too was treading carefully but Emma knew that at this point she didn’t stand a chance.

Regina explained the situation quickly and concisely. Just as suspected, Iris was firmly in agreement about going to Storybrooke to support Hope. It warmed Emma’s heart to see them fight to support her child, but it also worried her beyond belief. And as much as she wanted to stay in the bubble of safety they’d created in their home and hide from the more complicated aspects of her life, she knew it was unrealistic.

It was of no surprise to her that they were packing bags a week and a half later and taking the Mirror to the mansion.

xxx

Zelena was waiting for them with food and a hug, as was Rosie. The small family reunion was pleasant per usual, but it didn’t last for as long as it normally did. Emma could see both Iris and Regina flagging quickly, a result of their travel. Though it had been magical it still quite obviously took a toll. They went up to the ‘guest room’ fast enough but Emma and Petra stayed downstairs with Zelena.

The liquor was flowing soon after everyone settled. Zelena looked over at the two blondes sitting across from her, practically wrapped around each other. She took a sip of her drink before speaking. “They look like they’re about to pop.” She commented. “I was basically bed bound during my pregnancy and I never did get that far along, so I can only imagine how stressful even that short trip must have been.” She was recounting her memories in a fond tone, but Emma couldn’t help but wince at the memories of her time as the dark one. She pushed past it though.

“They insisted on coming. I told both Regina and Iris that Hope would understand if they couldn’t make it. She wouldn’t be upset and she’d probably just have my dad record the entire thing to send to them, but they—Regina especially—were not hearing it.” Emma explained, her tone exasperated and slightly worried.

Petra gave a tiny chuckle at the recollection but didn’t comment.

“I'm sure it’ll be fine. The babies aren’t due for another two weeks, so they should be able to be born right on time and in the place they where their mommies are most comfortable.” Zelena assured as best she could, though Emma could see the doubt in her eyes.

They’d settled on a birth plan a few months ago, and it was agreed that the babies would be born in a spare room in the French house. Emma knew how important it was to Regina for the birth plan to be adhered to. She was nervous and worried for her children—although she was only carrying one child, the reality of two children coming into the world on the same exact day did not escape her—nearly all the time and this as the most important aspect of this entire process, right below the prayer that the kids were 100% healthy.

The itch in the back of Emma’s mind that screamed of uncertainty. She had the worst feeling that things wouldn’t go exactly as planned.

xxx

The next morning was peaceful. Emma woke to her arms wrapped around Iris’ waist, her face hidden beneath her blonde hair and her senses filled with the heavenly scent of her perfume. She could hear Petra talking on low tones on the phone, and Regina’s deep breathing against her chest as she slept peacefully. The plan was to stay inside until it was time for the play—Hope didn’t know they were coming, so keeping a low profile was extremely important. But based on the knocking on the mansion door, their low profile had not been low enough.

Emma tried to ignore it at first, but Zelena was not having it. She yelled from the other side of the door. “Emma! Your mother is here! I don’t know how she knows you’re here but she does and she _will not_ leave my doorstep until she sees you and your paramours.” She sounded more amused than vexed, but Emma was quickly becoming annoyed. All she asked for was one morning. One! She wanted to see her mother, but she didn’t feel like dealing with her at—she glanced at the clock, it had the absolute nerve to read 7:00.

Emma untangled herself from Iris, and a jolt of pain filled her chest when Iris gave a whine of complaint. Bleary blue eyes looked up at her. She pouted the tiniest bit. “Where are you going?”

“My mom’s downstairs.”

She gave a slow blink then looked over at the digital clock on the bedside table. “It’s too early.”

“Yes it is. But the sooner I get this over with the sooner I can get back to being in bed with you.” Emma pressed a kiss to Iris’ nose and reveled in the blush that spread across her cheeks.

“I love you. If you need us come wake us up ok?”

“I love you too. I will.” They shared another kiss before Iris fell back onto the bed and fell asleep.

With a sigh, Emma got dressed in something simple and pulled her hair back into a low messy bun before running down the stairs. Her mother was just in front of the door, her work bags strapped all over her. It was obvious she stopped by on her way to work. Her face lit up in a bright smile, and for a second Emma’s annoyance dissipated. 

“I’m sorry to come so early I just got so excited. I know Hope doesn’t know you’re here so I won’t tell anyone but I just—I missed you so much.” Her eyes were filling with tears and Emma couldn’t resist the urge to pull her into a hug and squeeze.

“I missed you too Mom. I’m sorry we haven’t been able to talk as often, things have been so hectic prepping for the babies and making sure Hope’s room is ready for when she comes to France. It’s just…a lot. But I’m happy. I’m really fucking happy.” Emma felt herself choke up and she tried to pull away to hide the tears, but it was no use. She let out a few tears of sheer gratitude into her mother’s jacket before pulling away fully.

They chatted for a few minutes, catching up quickly and exchanging stories. None of her partners were awake, though Emma could sense Petra slowly beginning to wake. They didn’t talk for long, and within fifteen minutes Snow was waving from the drive way and heading to town hall for a half day of work.

Her lovers were awake within half an hour. They had a simple breakfast and enjoyed each other’s presence for the day—which was unfortunately uncommon as Petra was often times working. But the evening came faster than expected. They were getting dressed and ready for the play in what felt like the blink of an eye.

Both Regina and Iris seemed be more sluggish than usual. Out of the corner of her eye, Emma witnessed a few instances in which Regina winced in pain, or Iris paused to rub a sore spot in her back and she was worried. But the second she brought that worry to their attention she was shot down.

Regina gave a soft smile. “I’m fine love. Just a little sore from sleeping in an odd position. I’ll be fine I’m sure. Come now, we don’t want to be late.”

As a matter of fact, they arrived a tiny bit early. Just early enough be a spectacle of course. The kids were in a different room practicing for the very last time, so luckily they didn’t have to worry about Hope seeing them too soon, but that didn’t apply for the rest of the town. Nearly everyone that came in stared shamelessly at Regina. Iris kept her hand in Regina’s nearly the entire time, but they both were uncomfortable with all the attention. Emma could see the waves of insecurity and protectiveness wafting off her lovers. She tried to get in-between the stares and the comments and the occasional brave soul who tried to greet them but she could tell the intense scrutiny was getting to them. Another wince of pain. Another rub on that tender spot on her back. The worry only grew.

xxx

In the end, they only made it halfway through the play.

Hope was doing great. She obviously had taken it upon herself to memorize everyone’s lines and helped silently as much as she could. She caught sight of her mother once in the middle of a monologue and the bright smile that spread across her face made all the stress and uncertainty worth it.

At least until she heard Regina’s pained breaths. Emma turned to her in an instant. “What’s wrong?”

She was hesitant to answer, but the sound of water falling to the ground answered for her. Iris let out a gasp, followed by a small noise of pain. They both turned to her.

“Shit.” Both Petra and Emma said at the same time.

“Don’t panic. Do not. Under any circumstances. P—” Another sound like a water bottle being turned over onto the gymnasium floor, this time it splashed on Emma’s shoes. Regina gulped. “Ok. Maybe it’s time to panic.”

They moved as quickly and as quietly as they could. Emma’s heart raced faster than it ever had, and when Regina paused to cling to the wall just outside the gymnasium door and let out a pained whimper she nearly broke down. But Petra was there to keep her together.

“We have to get them to the hospital Em. There’s no time to waste ok? We can panic later but they’re coming now. Right now.”

“No! No they’re not!” Regina cried out. Another contraction hit and she gripped the wall and Petra’s hand tight. “I refuse to have my children in this hellhole. I will _not_ let Whale lay a finger on me. No!”

“Darling the midwife is in France. There’s no way we can—“

“We have a portal to our midwife in the foyer of my sister’s house! We are going there right no or so help me Gods!” Another contraction hit, but this time it hit Iris and she let out a little growl as she pushed past the pain. She clung to Emma’s shoulder and tried not to weigh her down too much.

“We don’t have enough time to—

“Emma? What’s going on? Are you guys ok?” Snow questioned as she turned the corner. She was nearly frantic, with her hair a literal mess and she looked like she’d been put through the wringer but when she caught sight of Regina and Iris in a clearly distressed state, she rushed over. “Are you going into labor?! Oh—oh! We need to get you both to the hospital right now!” 

“NO!” Regina bellowed. The lights flickered and the building shook with the force of Regina’s uncontrolled magic. She gasped at the sudden expulsion of her magic. She took a step back and nearly fell into the wall, but Emma caught her. She sent a pulse of their shared magic to her lover—a wave of pure comfort and love.

“Mom, I appreciate you trying to help but right now is so not the time. Regina and Iris want to have the babies in their home so we need to get to the manor so we can get to the mirror and get home. I’ll keep you updated I promise i just—

“—I understand. At least let me drive you to the manor. You two should be focused on comforting Regina and Iris, not driving.” She made a valid point. As much as she didn’t want to admit it, having Snow drive them to the manor made sense. Petra cleared her throat and locked eyes with Emma. She raised her eyebrow into a resigned expression.

“I think that is a great idea Snow. We’ll show you to the car.” Petra said. Regina gasped but didn’t get a chance to complain before a contraction fell her and forced her into a tight lipped silence. Emma pressed a comforting hand to Regina’s back. Iris moved forward, a hand on her stomach to comfort the child, as she pushed towards the doors.

xxx

Snow was quiet during the ride. She kept a keen eye on the women in labor, but she—wisely—didn’t speak. When they got to the manor, Snow rushed to the door and knockedfrantically. There was no answer. She knocked again. Still no answer.

“Whaat the hell is taking her so long?!” Regina growled as a contraction tore her body. She gripped Emma’s bicep so hard she lost all feeling in that arm for a few seconds.

“Did she mention she was going to the play?” Snow questioned. “I don’t remember seeing her there but—

  
“Oh fuck it. I’ll fix it later.” Regina hissed. With a wave of her hand, the door was ripped off its hinges and throw across the driveway. Snow winced as it flew right over her head. “If she says one word to me about that goddamned door I’m going to—” A prolonged pained hiss fell from Iris’ lips, interrupting Regina’s tirade. They rushed inside, finding the mirror and heading through as quickly as possible. When they came through the other side, it was dark and empty. The downstairs was unoccupied, save for the fireplace being lit and Atticus resting in front of it. When he saw them he jolted up right and let out worried bark.

“It’s alright boy. Just go wake Camila and Emilie.” He seemed to understand what she was saying and bolted up the stairs towards their rooms, barking all the way. Someone cleared their throat behind the quartet, and the noise startled Emma. She had forgotten her mother was here. She looked sheepish and when she caught Emma’s eye she seemed to shrink.

“I can leave now. I’d be honored to stay but I don’t want to make anyone uncomfortable.” She was looking between Regina and Iris, but it was 

“NO!” Regina exclaimed, letting out a puff of air as a wave of pain came again. “We need your help. I don’t want to be alone but the spare room isn’t ready yet. I need you to at least begin preparing. It’s the room with the sun and moon on the door. There’s a list on the wall. Follow it while we call the midwife.” She explained hastily, her voice tight with pain. Snow nodded almost immediately and ran up the stairs. The frantic rush of her footsteps could heard from downstairs, but soon they mingled with the sound of Camila rushing down the stairs, half asleep but on alert. She took one look at Regina’s grimacing face and the tears Iris was holding back, then sprung into action.

“I’ll call the midwife. Is someone prepping the spare room?” Petra nodded. “Brilliant. We need to see how dilated you both are so we can gauge the level of emergency.” She quickly fell into her roll as substitute midwife, pulling her hair up into a bun and rushing to bring Regina and Iris to the spare room. When they arrived, it was mostly ready thanks to Snow’s amazing ability to get things done under pressure. She was waiting for them, a warm towel and a basin of warm water in hand. She and Camila guided the two soon to be mothers over to the set up.

Regina kept a tight grip on Emma’s hand as they made their way. The midwife was on the way, but it felt like an eternity before she showed up. During that eternity, Regina was nearly silent, save for the scarce grunts or hisses of pain she couldn’t hold back. Emma could feel Iris’ efforts to calm herself a few feet away—just out of reach— and sent a pulse of her golden yellow magic towards her lover. In return, a tiny bit of orange came her way. It made her smile.

When the midwife finally arrived, she looked much more awake and alive than anyone in the room. She smiled down at the mother’s to be and spoke calmly. “Are you ready?”

A nearby chair began to shake. “I’ll take that as a yes. You’re already doing great guys. It won’t be long now. let’s get you changed and ready to go.” The midwife—whose name was Elsie—encouraged but the only response she got was a rage filled growl.

“Shut your goddamn mouth!” She glared up at Emma, a bead of sweat trailing from her brow down to her chin. “I swear to the gods if I ever have to do this again without drugs I. Will. Kill. You!” Regina roared, before her eyes closed and more tears fell from her eyes. Iris gave a pained laugh, before here contractions started back up as well.

Emma had the smarts not to speak, and simply offered her hand to be crushed under the weight of her lover’s pain.

xxx

The labor took 4 hours and 17 minutes.

Madeline came first, in true concordance with her mother’s impatient nature. She came into this world screaming up a storm, until the second she came into skin-on-skin contact with her mother. When Regina held her in her arms, it was like everything in her little world was a right again.

Hugo came nearly 5 minutes after his sister. He was nearly silent, and at first, Emma and Iris had become incredibly concerned. The concern melted away when he nuzzled into Iris’ embrace and gave a little coo of content.

They were perfect in every way. For the first hour of their lives, Emma barely took her eyes off of them. Tears were constantly streaming and her entire being was so overwhelmed with emotion she couldn’t speak.She’d felt this before of course—she loved Henry and Hope with everything in her—but feeling it at the same time with two children at once was almost overwhelming. But it was a blessing of the highest proportions.But she wasn’t alone in that. Regina was staring down at the little bundle of brown haired squirmy baby in her arms. She’d look up when she heard Hugo’s little noises and when they’d switch babies (a concept suggested by Iris to avoid any anxieties within the new moms about the babies they hadn’t birthed) she stared down at him just the same.

Petra was watching the door like a guard dog (though they already had a guard dog in the form of Atticus, who was outside poised and ready) and Iris was checking on everyone to make sure they were alright.

They were in perfect harmony. And every little yawn or grunt, made everything that much more harmonious.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If there's anything you are curious to see in this 'verse or any others I've written feel free to comment.


	5. Easing Back into Things

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello again, it's been a while. I'm so sorry for how long it's taken me to update this. The last few months have been a challenge and I've barely had any time to write. When I do write, I get overwhelmed with all the ideas I have, but it's getting better. This is just a short little something to get us back into the groove of the quartet and their family. I hope you enjoy!

After the birth of the ‘twins’—a nickname they had most recently been dubbed— time was in short supply. Emma spent most of her time balancing between the two babies and helping Iris and Regina as best she could. Petra was her saving grace, keeping all three women from collapse and away from the breakdowns that seemed to be verging almost always.

Emma had birthed two children. Two healthy and wonderful children, and yet she had never been as exhausted as she’d been in the past few weeks. They were barely a month old and the stress was nearly overwhelming at times. But she knew that she, in all honesty, was getting the least of it. Which is why today was needed. Hope was here for the weekend, and though her trip thus far had been filled with quiet time with her new siblings, all three of Emma’s partners agreed that some time away from the house would be good for the child.

“I’ve taken care of a baby before Regina, I’m sure Emilie and I can manage taking care of these two for the next few hours.” Camila playfully admonished, though Emma could see the lingering uncertainty in her eyes as she watched Regina carefully. The smaller brunette had lost a considerable amount of weight—a result of her lackluster eating habits and bouts of insomnia. She looked exhausted but still somehow remained calm enough to not startle her children. They were in the nursery, which had become the most peaceful place in the house today by some miracle.

Madeline looked up at Regina with the most inquisitive look on her face. Hugo was asleep beside his sister, which was not an uncommon occurrence for the little man. Iris was helping Hope put on her coat, while Petra got the car started.

“I know you know what you’re doing. It’s not that I don’t trust you I just…I don’t trust anyone or anything. I know you’d never hurt them—either one of you—I’m just…” Regina tried to explain, but her emotions easily began to overwhelm her. Tears welled up in her eyes.

Camila put a hand on her shoulder and gave an understanding nod. “I get it. You’re still healing and having to leave your children in the hands of someone who isn’t you is terrifying. If you truly don’t want to leave them with me maybe we—

“—I’ll be fine. I just…” She took in a deep breath. It was shaky and immediately caused Emma concern but she pushed through. “I’m just nervous. We won’t be gone long though, and it’s not like i’ll be able to avoid leaving my houses for much longer. Maternity leave doesn’t last forever.”

“It can when you own a business—which you partially do. And I’m sure your business partner will be happy to extend your time off.” She gave a quirk of her eyebrow. Regina snorted.

“I think if I continue to postpone the inevitable I won’t make any progress and that’s not healthy for the children. Babies or otherwise.” She looked back at Hope and couldn’t hold back a smile. The girl looked so excited. When they’d revealed their plans to her, she’d nearly screamed with sheer joy. She was bouncing with anticipation and when she caught Regina’s eyes, a bright smile filled her face.

Emma took a step forward and pressed her hand to the small of Regina’s back. “For what it’s worth, I can tell how difficult this is. You’re doing great though. Both of you.” She said quietly, looking back at Iris who was making a point to busy herself with helping Hope and finding any and every random thing to fiddle with. But the little blush that covered her cheeks showed that she heard Emma’s words.

Regina pressed a kiss to Emma’s cheek and the blonde blushed. “Thank you my darling.” She replied, before pressing kisses to the babies foreheads. She lingered for a minute, taking in the sweet smell of their clean little heads before pulling away.

xxx

The first stop was a small coffee shop on the way to their most important destination. Petra had had the idea to recreate one of their ‘personal’ days with Hope and bring her to places she’d appreciate both aesthetically and sentimentally. Just the fact that her mother frequented this place made the place all the more special for the girl. When they walked inside—the bell chiming above them to signify their presence—she was looking around with a sparkle in her eye.

The owner greeted them with a smile from behind the counter. “Hello lovely ladies! What a pleasure to see you again! Have you brought along a mini-me today?”

Emma chuckled. “In a way yes, this is my daughter Hope. Hope, this is Mr. Dumont. We come here so much he knows our faces.” She said with a chuckle.

Hope looked over nervously at him and gave a wave. “ _Bonjour_ (Hello.)” She quietly said in french. Her pronunciation was incredible for such a young learner, but she was still shy about speaking the language in front of native speaker.

He smiled down at her in a way that seemed to set her at ease. “ _Bonjour_ little darling. Come in, come in. Your order is on the house. What would you like?”

With Mr. Dumont’s assistance picking an order wasn’t difficult. Regina got a simple herbal tea to avoid passing the caffeine onto the babies, as did Iris. Petra got a cinnamon cappuccino, Emma a simple black coffee and Hope a beautiful (decaf) latte a la mode. They didn’t linger for too long, but every second spent in the fancy little shop was a pleasure. But they couldn’t stay all day, they had other things to do today.

When their cups were empty and their bellies full of pastries they stood to leave. Mr. Dumont was at their side in a moment, somehow managing to grab their coats and help each of them into their respective coats in just enough time. He walked them to the door, his smile so large and bright that it was nearly blinding. Before they left, he pulled them aside briefly.

“I am so happy to see you all again, especially out with the lovely little lady. I didn’t think I’d be seeing you for a while because of the babies. Give them my best and bring them by some time soon. Have a wonderful rest of your day.” From behind his back, he pulled out a small bouquet of flowers. Little yellow ones Emma couldn’t recognize but found to be utterly adorable. He instantly leaned down and handed them over to Hope.

The girl blushed and hid a shy smile behind the little bouquet before squeaking out a “Thank you.”

  
“My pleasure my lady. See you another time.” He replied.

As they left the parking lot of his little shop, he waved to them from the front window.

xxx

Their next and final stop was the Louvre. They wouldn’t be there for very long Emma figured, but any time in such a historic place such as this would be good for Hope. They were a little over dressed, but Hope didn’t seem to notice. Her gaze was firmly stuck to the various pieces of gorgeous art strewn around the building. 

Her big green eyes were wide with wonder and astonishment. She kept both of her hands in either Regina or Emma’s grip, unless she needed to point. As Emma suspected, they didn’t stay for terribly long. As the afternoon was melting into night and all of them were tired and ready for dinner. Hope fell asleep in Regina’s arms on the car ride home, and the content look on the brunette’s face as she rubbed the girl’s backmade Emma’s heart swell.

When they reached the house, Petra took the small girl from Regina’s grip as she and Iris went to feed the babies. Camila had warned them that the absence of their usual breast milk time had left both of them quiteupset. Little Hugo especially.

Emma and Petra put Hope to sleep in her new room. She didn’t stir in the slightest,even when both women leaned down to press a kiss to her forehead.

As they closed the door to her room behind them, Emma pulled Petra into a quick and sweet kiss. The woman let out a startled hum, but enjoyed the kiss anyway. As they pulled away she whispered “What was that for?”

“Nothing I’m just…really happy. I’m glad we all got to spend time together today.”

“Me too. You raised a gorgeous little girl Emma. I’m so happy she’ll be around more often now and I’m excited to watch you raise our little twins.”

Emma blushed at the compliment.

  
“I’m glad she’s here with us too. I’m really looking forward to seeing all of us together all the time.”

“Me too.” Iris said as she came around the corner. Madeline was in her arms, sleeping fitfully. “Even though this house will be run by these little ones for the foreseeable future, it will be the most thrilling ride. Today was the first step, and I’m already exhausted. But happy. I’ll be happy when I’m curled up with you all though. Regina’s put Hugo down, and this one is out for the count. Come to bed.” She coaxed.

Neither Emma nor Petrahesitated.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Short but sweet, I'm so happy I can put this out. Hopefully I can get back to frequently updating. Thank you for reading!


	6. A Case of the Hiccups

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you enjoy this one! It's a Lil heavy but not too much.

The first few weeks with the babies were…rough at best.

Though they technically weren’t twins, you couldn’t tell them that. They woke up either at the very same time, crying their little heads off or they would spice things up and alternate—Madeline would cry and wake Hugo up, then she’d slip into sleep only to be woken by Hugo’s hungry wails and so on and so forth. It was seemingly never-ending.

  
For the most part, the foursome coped well enough. Regina was the hardest to fluster, to no-one’s surprise, and she was the go-to for any and all emergency calming sessions. She had this way of not letting the exhaustion or the frustration get to her. Iris was the most affected, again to no-one’s surprise, and was oftentimes found in parts of the house with tears in her eyes because Madeline had looked at her funny.

Despite the missteps and moments of weakness, they were blending into a little family.

The first big problem came on the back of Emma’s weekly calls to Storybrooke.

Hope was in the middle of her last school year in Storybrooke, so the calls usually consisted of time spent with either her or Emma’s parents. Today was parent day, as Hope was still in school. Snow was in her office, her phone propped up against one of her law books to give her a good angle, allowing her to easily multitask between work and conversation. Emma was on the couch of her living room, behind her dinner was in the oven. It was filling the living room with the most heavenly of smells. Since the twins' birth, both Petra and Camila had given up much of their time to teach Emma how to cook. Iris and Regina were exhausted 99% of the time, so having dinner ready for them ensured they ate on a semi-regular schedule.

It was 12 noon in Storybrooke—noted the clock behind Snow’s head—therefore 6 in France.

“ _How are the kids doing Emma?_ ” Snow asked jovially. She reached across the screen to grab another stack of legal papers.

“They’re doing better. They’re still waking up like clockwork but Me and Regina have found a system that seems to calm them down really fast. I forgot how tiring a newborn was, let alone two.” She chuckled. Snow chuckled along with her, but her laughter was stiff. She was thinking about something.

“ _I can only imagine. Your brother was an easy baby thank God. I credit most of that to his obsession with soft blankets. All I had to do was wrap him up in one of the blankets I made and he was set. Do you…have you talked to your partners about what colors they want for blankets for the kids? I’m still willing to make them._ ”

“Actually I have. For Madeline, we decided on purple, white, and lavender. Hugo probably a dark green, white and a light yellow if that’s ok. Those are the colors of most of their respective—

“Emma?!” A soft voice called from the nursery. It was Iris.

“Gimme a second Mom, I think Iris needs help. Don’t hang up.”

“ _I won’t._ ”

Emma moved to leave her phone on the coffee table, before racing up the stairs. Iris was in the nursery as suspected, holding baby Hugo away from her slightly with a scrunched up face. He was giggling and kicking his little legs slightly.

“He vomited in my hair. I need to wash it before I continue with my day or else I will lose my mind. Regina, Petra, and Madeline are in the bedroom having a nap. It won’t be long I promise. Can you pretty please take him for me?”

“Of course. Come ‘ere little guy.” Emma reached out and took her son in her arms. He was growing day by day, but still, he was so tiny it was scary at most times. He let out an excited squeal at the sight of his other blonde mother and cuddled up to her when she held him close.

As Iris ran into the bathroom, gagging from the reality and the smell of the baby vomit in her hair, Emma ran back down the stairs and into the living room. She moved the phone again so her mother could see her. Snow let out a cry of excitement at the sight of a baby.

Despite how often Emma talked to her parents, she didn’t often show her kids. She showed them to Hope, to build the bond before the girl moved into the home but for her parent's things were different. Regina tried her hardest, but the birth of her only blood child had fucked with her emotions and hormones quite a bit. She was fine most times, but her anxiety was through the roof more often than not. They had just gotten her to a place where she didn’t have a panic attack when Petra left for work.

Emma didn’t want to admit it to her parents, but she had a feeling that the mere thought of sharing her children with Snow White made Regina want to curl up in a hole, with her children in her arms full of all her children, and never come out.

So they didn’t talk about it and instead pretended that things would not come to a head at some point or another.

“ _He’s gotten so big! Ugh, he’s going to grow up to be so handsome Emma!I just want to squeeze his little cheeks!_ ” She squealed in a high-pitched voice.

“I know, I swear he’s inherited all of my good qualities. I’m kind of impressed. I think his eyes will stay this blue though, which is really nice. He’s got such pretty eyes, don’t you bud?” Hugo cooed up at his Ma.

“ _I can’t wait to see them in person. You had my eyes from the moment you were born, and you had my father’s nose oddly enough. I wonder if little Hugo has his great-Grandpapa Leopold’s nose._ ” Her tone took on an inflection meant for a child quite obviously, but her words were ones that—no matter the inflection—set Emma on edge. Any talk of Leopold in this house would result in violence, there was no getting around it. She dreaded the day her mother would try to force conversations about him into their lives for the 'sake of her new grandchildren'. She knew it would happen one day because it was just Snow’s nature to be as obtrusive as possible—but regardless, Emma was not looking forward to it.

At the sudden tense silence, Snow cleared her throat. “Have you guys discussed when you’ll be making an appearance in Storybrooke? We are all quite excited to meet the new little ones.” She said as innocently as possible.

Emma sighed. “Mom, you already know the answer to that question. It’s not happening. Regina isn’t comfortable in Storybrooke so we won’t be coming back. End of discussion.”

“ _Storybrooke is your home, Emm_ a—

“NO, it’s not. This place, this home with my lovers and my kids and my new friends—this place in this country has been more of a home to me than Storybrooke has ever been. You guys are my family, but I have a responsibility to my partner. I won’t take her back to a place that will damage her mental health, especially not right after she gave birth. I have to think about her and the rest of my family before I think about what you want. Ok?”

Snow huffed. “ _You’re being dramatic Emma. Regina is still feeling guilty about all she did but it’s ok now. We all forgive her. It’s all in the past now_ —

“—That’s not what this is about.”

“W _e just want a chance to get to know your kids Emma. Biological and otherwise._ ”

Emma couldn’t find the energy to respond, she truly could not. It was beyond her ability at that very moment so she stayed silent. She simply let her thumb caress Hugo’s cheek as he fell asleep. Snow sighed.

“ _Emma—_

“—I’ll talk to you later Snow. Bye.”She didn’t wait to hear a goodbye or anymore attempts at reconciliation. She wasn’t in the mood. She just wanted to enjoy this time with her son. She pressed a kiss to his forehead.

xxx

Another 2 weeks passed before any major hiccups occurred. The babies grew and grew, stunning their mothers with their progress and their beauty. Life moved on, as it always did and things were seemingly moving on the right track.

On a fine summer day—the kind that was perfectly warm. Not too hot and not too cool, Hope was scheduled to come over to the house for the day. Snow was invited over by Regina herself to Emma’s surprise, so the day was shaping to be quite an interesting one but hopefully pleasant. Regina was trying, now that Hope would officially be living with them, to make amends and keep the peace as best she could with Snow. They had been on good terms as of recently, cordial and friendly for the most part.

They arrived in the afternoon, a hurricane of light and laughter. Hope arrived first, her smile big and bright as the sun. She ran to the nearest person, who happened to be Petra, and let herself be swept up into a warm hug. The tall Australian gave a hearty laugh as she hugged her girl close.

“Hello, my darling girl! How have you been?! I’ve missed you so much!” She exclaimed.

“I missed you too! So so so much! Where are the babies??”

She’d been looking forward to meeting her newest siblings since she’d been introduced to them right over the phone right after her play. This was the first time she was going to see them in person, and all of them were both excited and terribly nervous. She was a sweet girl, but getting new siblings at such an important time in her life—a time of important transition—was a huge adjustment. She could react unpredictably. She could hate them with all she had in her little body, or she could be enamored.

Emma wasn’t sure about either reaction, she just prayed for the latter.

“They’re upstairs napping with Iris right now darling. Your sister might be eating. Would you like to see her?” Petra asked. It was right around lunchtime for the babies, so it wouldn’t out of the norm for them to be in the nursery just finishing up eating.

“Yes please!” Hope squealed.

As they moved towards the stairs, Snow cautiously followed and squeaked out an “Am I allowed to come as well?”

Petra looked back at her, not a hint of malice in her eyes just apprehension. She was most definitely thinking of Regina’s anxieties about letting people near the babies. But she must have thought better of it, as she gave a small nod.

When they walked up the stairs, Atticus was at the threshold of the door keeping everyone inside safe. He popped his little head up as they walked closer, his tail wagging at the sight of Hope. She leaned down and gave him a pat on the head. He scooted out of the way when they walked by, but made sure to sniff at Snow’s ankles to remind her that he was there.

Iris was in the rocking chair, half asleep but still managing to burp Hugo. Regina was in the corner, nearest to the window whispering to Madeline about the grey clouds scrolling in, and the storm that was no doubt coming in over the next few hours. When she heard the dog move, and the attempt at quiet footsteps from Hope she looked up. Her smile dimmed at the sight of Snow, but she kept herself in control for the sake of Hope.

“Are they awake?” Hope’s tiny voice asked.

“They are. Come say hello.” Regina offered, motioning with her head for the girl to come closer. She did, but she was cautious. Her eyes were wide with wonder as she moved first to Madeline since she was closer. Then over to where Iris was cradling the back of Hugo’s head. When Hope had taken the time to press kisses on her siblings' tiny heads, Petra moved towards Regina and pressed a kiss to both Regina’s forehead and Madeline’s. The baby cooed in delight.

Hope looked down at Hugo, her eyes filling with wonder as she stared down at the tiny squirming being that was to be her brother. She let her little nose fall down to his head and smiled.“He smells good.” She whispered.

The entire room chuckled.

xxx

After brief introductions were made, the group headed back down the stairs and into the living room. It was lunchtime for the adults, so Emma decided to take over chef duties to give the nursing mothers a break. In the middle of her croquet monsieur—which she had come to learn over the past few weeks, was just fancy grilled cheese—Snow came up behind her.

She was practically vibrating with excitement. Things had been going well, and no doubt she was beyond surprised.

“Do you need any help?” She asked.

On first instinct, Emma wanted to say no, but she held back. She was working on this aspect of her personality—the part of her that was intent on doing everything by herself to prove her worth. Snow helping wouldn’t be the end of the world, even if she was already done for the most part.

“Sure! If you could keep an eye on the sandwiches while I get the sides out, that would help a lot. After that, are you up for sautéing some red potatoes?”

Snow was eager to help, and as she moved cautiously around their kitchen her eyes were prone to straying. They lingered on the labels on french, and the seemingly exotic foods and spices that Emma had grown accustomed to seeing. She couldn’t blame her. There was something about this place, this environment and this home in general that made even the most simple of things special.

Regina had this habit of buying several different types of milk. All of the members of the household were fond of a different type of milk—most of them non-dairy—and when they brought it home from the grocery store, they were almost immediately transferred from carton to glass jugs. Then, they were labeled in french—now with a label of English underneath for both Emma and Hope—and put into Regina’s very particular organization system.

It was the simplest aspect of living in this house, but it was one Emma looked forward to seeing every Sunday. One that made her heart flutter with thankfulness.

“You have a lovely family Emma.” Snow said suddenly, as they were finishing up the food and putting the kettle on for tea.

“Thanks… It’s not complete just yet but it’s getting there.” She replied shyly. Snow smiled in response.

Soon, they brought over the food on various trays and splayed them out on the table of the garden. It was a nice day, so Regina and Petra brought the babies out in their specially made outdoor cribs. They doubled as swings, so when they began to voice their upset at being away from their mothers as they ate, a few rocks solved their upset quick enough.

The food was filling, and easily sent most of them into a state of sleepy content.

Regina let out a tiny giggle as Hugo let out a hearty burp. “I think I’ll take these two up for a nap. I’ll follow in their footsteps soon enough I bet. I’ll see you before you leave Hope my dear, and Snow I shall see you later.” She gave both of them a salute before taking both babies in her arms—the mark of a true mother—and walked up to the nursery.

xxx

Time passed in a fog of sleepy of card games and cuddles—just the way Emma liked it.

These days were her favorite, the days where they just enjoyed time together with no stress. Eventually, whileEmilie, Hope, and Atticus played together outside, the rest of the adults fell into a collective nap. Iris fell asleep in Emma’s arms and Petra in the armchair across from them. Snow settled into a loveseat nearby, but far enough away to keep herself comfortable.

Sometime later, Emma wasn’t exactly sure what day or time it was in all honesty (she napped so hard there were lines on her arms) but she knew something was off.

Lavender magic flashed behind her eyes, and a jolt of panic ran up her spine. Slowly, Emma untangled herself from Iris’ napping form and stood. There was something wrong. She could feel it. Could hear it, like the hum of a bee in her inner ear. Regina needed her. She was drawn to the bedroom, and the closer she got the more concerned she grew. The door was slightly open, and she could hear the sound of Regina’s panicked breathing.

She was at the door almost immediately and was pushing it open slowly before she could properly process it.

Regina stood in front of the bed, pacing back and forth. Her chest was heaving with frantic breaths and her arms were wrapped around her waist in a makeshift comfort tactic. Emma rushed to her side.

“Regina? What happened? What’s wrong?!” Emma questioned.

“Did you take the twins downstairs with you?!” Regina frantically asked the very second she heard Emma’s voice.

“No, we went into a bit of a food coma and most of us have been napping downstairs for the past half hour so. What’s wrong? Are they not—

“They’re not in the nursery. It’s my fault, I fell asleep when I was waiting for Madeline to fall asleep. She drank her milk too fast and I think it upset her stomach. She was fidgety, but I thought she fell asleep easily enough.I thought I heard crying but I wasn’t sure and it stopped so quickly I figured one of you had come to get them. I forgot Snow was here. I forgot. What if she took them? Oh god, what if she took them back to Storybrooke with her? Do you think she’d do that? I know she hates me but I didn’t think she’d—” the more time Regina spent thinking of the worst-case scenario, the more panicked she became.

She was verging on a full-blown panic attack now, and it was terrifying.

Emma had seen snippets of this since the twins' birth. She’d expected it to an extent because Regina had always been an emotional person. She was a mother first and foremost and this new experience with giving birth and raising the tiny babies was pushing her limits. She’d tried her hardest to keep it together, but Emma knew Snow’s presence in this house and around the kids would be the breaking point. 

She had a good idea of just where the twins were because she knew her mother well, but she was afraid of confirming it. Emma felt guilty because as much as she’d tried her hardest to set boundaries, she knew she could have been firmer. Snow wanted so badly to be apart of the kids' lives, and she wasn’t used to being told no. It was a fine balance between reminding her mother that Regina was not fond of her presence, especially when it involved the babies—and trying not to reveal the struggles Regina was going through because it wasn’t Snow’s business.

She was totally unaware of just how triggering her presence could be for Regina. She didn’t know how frequently Regina woke up crying from nightmares after Snow's phone calls, or when she’d wake up confused about her surroundings and thought she was back in her marital castle.

“The babies are fine Regina. Snow knows better than to take them anywhere without asking one of us first. She’d never hurt them.” Her words were offering little comfort. She could see it, feel it in the shaky way Regina sighed and swept tears away from her face.

“But what if she did it anyway? What if she saw how horrible of a mother I am and decided to take them from me. From us?!” Her voice was slowly rose in volume, and her fear was becoming palpable. Emma pulled her close, but no matter how hard she tried to comfort her lover it was of no use. She needed to bit the bullet and put this to rest.

Before she could suggest just where the babies were, the door opened and Petra stepped through.

“What’s wrong?” She questioned nervously. She too looked partially asleep but alert enough to know something was off. Iris came up behind her, anxiety in her eyes.

“Let’s…let’s go get some fresh air and I can tell you ok.” Petra and Iris gave her a questioning look but listened anyway. Petra moved forward and took Regina into a small hug. She could see the pain brewing behind Regina’s eyes and knew she’d need some extra love and attention to calm her. Regina leaned into the touch.

“I know it might seem unrealistic but I can’t…I can’t stop feeling like they’re going to be taken away from me. I feel like if I do the smallest thing wrong they’ll be gone forever. And with Snow here I just…she was there the last time I—“ she couldn’t even get the words out, but all of her lovers understood.

“I can understand that. This is all very new for all of us, but none of us have been through what you’ve been through. Just tell us what you need tofeel less anxious and we’ll do what we can.” Iris said quietly. Regina took in a shaky breath, but before she could speak Emma spoke.

“I think we should check the garden. I..I have a feeling Snow was trying to help when we were all sleeping and she took the kids for a walk. I…I feel horrible I didn’t think she’d—”

“You’re not responsible for your mother’s choices Emma. She should have enough common sense to know not to take them anywhere for any reason, especially given everything. We need to…We need to nip this in the bud and have an honest conversation with her about this because it’s not ok in the slightest.” Petra snipped, though her anger was not directed at Emma. It was more so towards Snow and her behavior.

They knew it wouldn’t be smooth sailing, allowing Snow into their home but this was..not the best way to start things off.

xxx

Just as expected, they found Snow and the babies in the garden. Madeline’s cheeks were ruddy, which indicated she had cried recently. She was asleep now, but Hugo was not. Madeline was sleeping in the stroller that usually resided in the nursery closet, but Hugo was in Snow’s arms.

“You’re such a handsome little prince Hugo. I can’t believe how much you look like your Mommy Emma. But I was right, you do have your Grandpapa Leo’s nose.” She said in a high pitched tone. “I wish he could have met you, he would have loved you and your sisters.”

Regina held out for as long as she could, but the mention of Leopold’s name sent her reeling. Emma expected her to lunge at Snow, but instead, she ran to the nearest bathroom and vomited. Petra followed after her, but Emma and Iris stayed.

Emma sighed. “Snow, you’ve got to be kidding me.” She said. Snow jumped at the sound of her voice.

“Emma! Madeline was crying and I—

“If she’s crying you come get one of us. You’re not their mother nor have you been given permission to take them anywhere. They are barely a few months old. Do you know the panic you put in poor Regina? I won’t even mention why because I _know_ you know. Just…I think it’s time for you to go.” Iris snapped. She had tried her hardest not to get angry but she failed as she thought of how Regina was fairing.

Emma couldn’t blame her. Snow placed Hugo back into his stroller and let Emma walk her out.

On her way out, for the first time since Emma stepped foot into Storybrooke—she sternly told her mother what was what.

As much as she loved her, something like this could _not_ happen again. And it wouldn’t, as long as Emma had a say in things.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've been thinking of this personal headcanon since forever. I wholeheartedly believe Regina would have Post Partum Anxiety after giving birth. Post-Partum Depression is so commonly discussed, but as I was doing research I realized this aspect of motherhood wasn't talked about as often. Regina has had a serious trauma related to birth, babies, and Snow, so in my opinion, it would make total sense for her to be incredibly triggered by Snow's presence. On top of that, Snow hasn't been told the word no since her childhood at best and I think she'd want to remember her father in the male children of her family. Obviously, all of that combined would create a problem so this chapter was born. I love writing these slice of life one-shots.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading! This is unbetaed but I try my best. Comments, requests, suggestions and constructive criticism are welcome!


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